"So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous." - Romans 11:11

When I expressed interest in my wife (back before she was my wife) I had dreadlocks and some pretty gross long mutton chops. She shut me down pretty hard. And then a group of friends (her included) all went on a vacation for two weeks. There I asked two women to dinner because I wanted to find someone to be interested in so I could forget about how hot I thought she was. It didn't work, the other girls were morons compared to the woman I married. I couldn't take my mind off her.

But the thing it did do was make her come back to me complaining that I had just expressed interest and then cheapened it by immediately then going and asking out other girls. I told her I was just trying to forget her, and sure enough by making her jealous I won her heart (it may have helped that I shaved my head and my beard and looked like a person instead of a lion). Anyhow, jealousy worked - don't ever let anyone tell you it doesn't.

So then this is a pretty odd verse to me. Salvation came to the Gentiles so as to make Israel jealous. What? I don't see the Jews these days looking at us Christians and going, "Darn it, well their salvation just makes me downright jealous." I suppose they could be thinking that, but it isn't leading them to repentance in droves is it?

That said this makes me curious about what's coming in the future. I wonder how many Jews have decided Jesus is the messiah but are unwilling to accept Him as such given their jealousy that salvation was offered to the whole world. Maybe in the end it will lead to their returning to their God. And somehow this relates to their rejecting the gospel being the reason the Gentiles were even given a chance.

Fascinating. We have the Jew's hardened hearts to thank for our chance at salvation (unless your Jewish).